The company Walker had been working for had received a “lucrative contract’ as part of a recovery program following the 2011 floods that decimated parts of Ipswich. The pair had known each other since 2003.

During the meeting, Walker told Wulff he “felt very blessed to be providing services to the Council and receiving a healthy income from doing so,” the court heard.

“You also told him, that if there was any way that you could help further, you would be happy to do so,” Chief Judge Kerry O’Brien said.

“You made it clear that you would be willing to pay cash. Subsequently the two of you devised a plan whereby you Walker, would pay to Wulff a retainer of $5000 a month plus GST.”

But the bribes didn’t stop there. Wulff received yet more money from lobbyist Wayne Myers who acted as a go-between, for an earthworks contractor and Ipswich City Council.

The court heard the contractor paid Myers $523,000 in 2013, to help “grease the wheels” with Wulff and the Council.

Of that, $115 500 was siphoned to Wulff as kickbacks for “favourable treatment” from Ipswich Council. The court heard a third party, who can’t be named for legal reasons, also gave Wulff further $15,000.

When the then CEO became aware the Queensland Crime and Corruption Commission was investigating him, the 66-year-old tried to convince Myers and Oxenbridge to lie to authorities about the bribes.

But eventually he was charged and pleaded guilty to two counts of official corruption, and perverting the course of justice.

Investigators never worked out who started the corrupt agreement. But in sentencing, Judge O’Brien said: “It is clear all involved.. were willing participants.”

Wulff will be free after serving just 20 months of a fiv- year sentence.

Walker and Oxenbridge who also pleaded guilty to corruption were sentenced to three years in jail, but will only serve nine months.

But Myers was sentenced to two-and-a-half years and will only serve six months, for agreeing to secretly record conversations about the corrupt behaviour, which the CCC used to prosecute the case.